Display container

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a container for storing and displaying goods, such as a pleated skirt, comprising an open-ended, four walled container having a window area through which the goods may be seen, a hanger part extending beyond the top thereof, and a flap cut out from one of the walls and adapted to prevent the goods from falling through the open-ended bottom of the container.

United States Patent Weisman 51 Mar.28,1972

[54] DISPLAY CONTAINER [72] Inventor: Irving Weisman, Marblehead, Mass.

[73] Assignee: Interstate Container Corporation, New

York,N.Y.

[22] Filed: Jan. 21,1970

[21] Appl. No.: 3,532

3,487,922 1/1970 Peck ..206/45.14 X 2,855,649 10/1958 Kanter ..206/7 D X 1,994,382 3/1935 Berger ..206/78 1,868,601 7/1932 Harris ..229/87 A X Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Attorney-James and Franklin [57] ABSTRACT The invention comprises a container for storing and displaying goods, such as a pleated skirt, comprising an open-ended, four walled container having a window area through which the goods may be seen, a hanger part extending beyond the top thereof, and a flap cut out from one of the walls and adapted to prevent the goods from falling through the open-ended bottom of the container.

9 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMRPB 1912 3,651,928

Fig. 2 18 INVENTOR IRVING WEISMAN ATTORNEY DISPLAY CONTAINER The present invention relates to a container for storing and displaying goods. The container is specifically disclosed for use with apparel, such as a pleated skirt. However, it may easily be adapted for storing and displaying a variety of different types of goods. The primary purpose of a display container is to present the goods in an appealing and easily viewable configuration and to permit them readily to be hung on a rack from which they can be selected by a prospective purchaser. Designers of conventional containers of this type have gone to great lengths to design elaborate containers with this purpose in mind. Such containers are often cumbersome to handle, complicated to arrange and space-consuming when placed on display at a retail counter. Moreover, such containers are generally suitable only for display purposes and are too costly and/or cumbersome to be used as the package in which the merchandise is sold to the consumer.

It is the primary object of the present invention to design a container for storing and displaying goods which is of simple, compact construction, is easily adapted to be supported at a display and/or selection counter and is, at the same time, appealing to the eye and adapted for easy viewing of the goods contained therein.

It is another object of the present invention to design a display container which may be assembled from a single die-cut blank of a suitable material, such as corrugated paperboard.

A further feature of the container of the present invention is that it is open at both ends and is provided with a flap cutout from one of its walls for the purpose of preventing goods contained therein from escaping through the open-ended bottom.

One of the recurrent problems in the marketing of goods, and in particular wearing apparel, to be sold in prepackaged containers is the possibility that the goods may not conform in design or color to the representation on the container in which it is packaged. This problem is often not practically within the control of the retailer unless he takes the time-consuming precaution of opening each container and examining the merchandise contained therein prior to placing it on sale.

It is therefore another object of the present invention to design a display container which is also readily adapted for packaging the goods for sales to the consumer whereby the consumer may easily view the design and color of the actual merchandise being purchased. To this end the containers of the present invention are adapted to be supported on a selection rack, arranged by design, color and size much the same as unpackaged wearing apparel is ordinarily set out. This arrangement, however, has an advantage over displaying the garments in unpackaged form the goods are protected from dust which may accumulate over a period oftime or as a result of customer handling.

To the accomplishment of the above and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, the present invention relates to a container for storing and displaying goods, as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled container constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along line 22 of FIG. 1, showing a pleated skirt positioned inside the container;

FIG. 3 is a plan elevation view of the blank used to erect the container of FIG. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, FIG. 3 shows a corrugated paperboard blank generally in the shape of a sector of an annulus, consisting of five trapezoidal sections 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20, defined by four fold lines 22, 24, 26 and 28. The section 14 defines a front wall which includes a window area 30, shown in the drawings in the form of tow cut out portions 32 and 34 with parallel inclined edges defining an inclined strip 36 between them. The section 18 defines a rear wall which, near its bottom edge, carries a flap 38 cut out on three sides and connected to wall 18 by a fold line 40 generally parallel to the bottom edge of section 18. The sections 12 and define side walls of the carton. Cut out from section 20,

spaced along and contiguous to fold line 28, are two slots 42. Protruding from the outer edge of section 12 are two tabs 44 designed and positioned along the outer edge for insertion within slots 42 when the container is erected. Protruding from the top edge of section 30 and formed integrally therewith is a hook member 46.

The container is erected by folding front and rear wall sections 14 and 18 and side wall sections 12 and 20 along the fold lines to approximate perpendicularity with respect to adjacent sections. In this folded position, tabs 44 are readily adapted to be inserted within slots 42, contiguous to the inside surface of rear wall 18, thereby forming the rigid four wall structure shown in FIG. 1, that structure having open upper and lower ends 48 and 50 respectively.

The container shown in FIG. I is particularly designed for displaying and storing wearing apparel, such as a pleated skirt and this specification will hereafter refer to the container contents as a skirt. The carton may be erected by placing the skirt on one of the sections 14 or 18 and folding the carton sections around the skirt, or the carton may be erected and the skirt then slid thereinto, as through open end 50. In either event, after the skirt is in position in the erected carton, tab 38 is swung inwardly to the position shown in FIG. 1 in which it extends substantially across the space between the front and rear walls 14 and 18 of the container. The container may be supported on a suitable frame or structure by means of hook member 46, and the tab 38 will provide bottom support for the skirt, preventing it from falling out through the open carton end 50.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the container in which is positioned a pleated skirt 52. The container is dimensioned such that the skirt substantially fills its entire cross section, thus ensuring against the possibility of its crumpling toward the bottom of the container in the vicinity of tab 38 under its own weight.

When hanging in its displayed position, the container presents the merchandise in an appealing and simple configuration with the pattern of the merchandise easily viewable by the consumer through window area 30. Of course, the cut out window portions 32 and 34 may be varied in number, shape and position as the taste of the designer and the particular merchandise enclosed may dictate. For instance, the window area may be designed to depict the particular type of wearing apparel inside the container. In the instant case, the window area might be cut out in the outline ofa skirt. Moreover, these window portions may be constructed of transparent material in order to keep out dust and/or dirt which may be deposited on the merchandise through customer handling. Indeed, the entire container may be constructed of a suitable transparent material enabling the consumer to view the merchandise from all sides.

If the container is constructed of a suitable material, such as corrugated paperboard, designs and/or information may be imprinted thereon to render the container more appealing and inform the consumer as to the goods contained therein.

An alternative configuration, and the simplest and cheapest to manufacture, is a construction wherein the flap 38 is cut out of the front wall 14. When the flap 38 is folded into its operative position the resulting cut out portion of wall 14 could serve as a window area. Again, in this configuration the flap could be designed in any desired shape provided it is sufficient to prevent the merchandise from falling through the bottom end of the container 50.

The flap 38 is shown adapted to fold inwardly and downwardly, thereby defining an opening in the rear wall 18 through which dust and dirt may enter and be deposited on the merchandise. This problem may be dealt with in a manner similar to that discussed with regard to the cut out window portions 32 and 34 (i.e., employing a transparent or other material to cover the opening). Alternatively, the flap 38 may be designed to fold inwardly and upwardly toward the front wall 18 so that the cut out portion does not directly expose the goods. If the material out of which the container is constructed is of a type which holds its shape when folded against pressure urging it back to its unfolded position, the flap, in its folded position, will serve to prevent the goods from falling through the bottom opening 50.

While only a single embodiment of the present invention has been herein specifically disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made thereto without departure from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container for storing and displaying goods comprising front, rear and side walls extending from a top to a bottom end to define a compartment for receiving goods, said compartment having at least its bottom end open and being wide enough at its bottom end to allow the goods to readily pass therethrough without deformation of said walls, means for supporting said container at its top end, said front wall having a window area through which the goods, may be seen, and flap means cut out from said rear wall near said bottom end and foldable inwardly to extend a distance substantially across said compartment in one direction, thereby to prevent said goods from falling through said bottom end.

2. The container of claim 1, wherein said flap is foldable inwardly and downwardly into said compartment.

3. The container of claim 2, in which said supporting means comprises hook means extending from one of said walls.

4. The container of claim 3, in which said hook means is formed integral with one of said walls.

5. The container of claim 1, in which said flap means extends a distance substantially less than across said entire container in another direction generally perpendicular to said one direction.

6. The container of claim 5, wherein said flap is foldable inwardly and downwardly into said compartment.

7. The container of claim 1, in which both said top and said bottom ends are open.

8. The container of claim 1, wherein all said walls are trapezoidal.

9. The container of claim 1, in which the cross section of said container is rectangular. 

1. A container for storing and displaying goods comprising front, rear and side walls extending from a top to a bottom end to define a compartment for receiving goods, said compartment having at least its bottom end open and being wide enough at its bottom end to allow the goods to readily pass therethrough without deformation of said walls, means for supporting said container at its top end, said front wall having a window area through which the goods, may be seen, and flap means cut out from said rear wall near said bottom end and foldable inwardly to extend a distance substantially across said compartment in one direction, thereby to prevent said goods from falling through said bottom end.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein said flap is foldable inwardly and downwardly into said compartment.
 3. The container of claim 2, in which said supporting means comprises hook means extending from one of said walls.
 4. The container of claim 3, in which said hook means is formed integral with one of said walls.
 5. The container of claim 1, in which said flap means extends a distance substantially less than across said entire container in another direction generally perpendicular to said one direction.
 6. The container of claim 5, wherein said flap is foldable inwardly and downwardly into said compartment.
 7. The container of claim 1, in which both said top and said bottom ends are open.
 8. The container of claim 1, wherein all said walls are trapezoidal.
 9. The container of claim 1, in which the cross section of said container is rectangular. 